Loose-leaf binder



Jan. 26 1926.

' 1,571,173 G. A. PARSONS LOOSE LEAF BINDER I FiledJan. 19, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 26 1926.

cs. A. PARSONS I LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Jan. 19', 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fiTT iN yi Patented Jan. 26, 1926.

UNITE n STATE 1ST GEORGE: AY nnrAnson's, or New Yonit, N. Y}, ssieno t roioniannns E. nnnnux COMPANY, me, on NEW YORK, n. Y.,.A oonroanrron on NEW YORK.

LOOSE- LEAF BINDER.

Application filed January 19, 1925. Serial No. 3,32 7.

ToaZZ whom it may con-061%: v

Be it known that I, GEORGE Area PARSONS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county ofllew York, State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. t This invention relates especially, although not exclusivelyv to loose-leaf binders of the relatively heavy and substantial type such as are employed for. bookkeepingand similar purposes, and has for its general object to 5 provide a binder of standard type which may be opened relatively flat, as in the case of anordinary bound book, thereby facilitating the use thereof andavoiding the waste of paper incidental to the fact that in such binders as heretofore usually constructed the inner ends of the leaves are so curved and are held so closely together as tormake aconsiderable portion thereof unsuitable for use.

The more particular objects of the invention, together with meanswhereby the latter may be carried into effect, will best be understood from the following description of one form or embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be un-, derstood, however, that the particular construction described and shown has been chosen for illustrative purposes merely, and that the invention, as defined by the claims hereunto appended, may be otherwise embodied without departing from its spirit and scope.

In said'drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end View, partly broken away, of a standard type of loose-leaf binder, showing the same in opened position. I

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are diagrammatic views illustrating the limitations of a binder of the type shown in Fig. 1. v

Figs. 5, (3 and 7 are similar views illustrating the manner in which these limitations are removed in accordance-with the present invention.

Figs. 8 and 9 are end views, partly broken away, of a binder constructedin accordance with the principles illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7, showing the same in open and closed position, respectively.

Figs. 10 and'll are detail views of the inner ends of two adjacent leaves of the binder shownin Figs. 8 and 9. l

Fig. 12 is anenlarged sectional viewof several superposed leaves of the charactershown in Figs lO and 11, the thickness oi the leaves being greatly exaggerated for convenience of illustration: 7 v

Fig. 18 is a detail sectional View of the means forlocking the binding strips.

7 Referring to Fig. 1, thereis showntherein in somewhat conventionalized form a,binder of a type now quite commonly used, said binder comprising a pair of oppositely dis posed clamping members 20 which aremovable toward and from one another in a rectilinear direction by mechanism, (not shown). operated by a. key or wrenchi applied to a socket 21, said clamping members having extending between them a suitable m mberof binding posts .22 Usually telescopic which pass through suitablyj arranged perforations in the leaves 23 adjacent the inner ends, .91 edges of the latter Hinged to the clamping members 20, as at 24,.are the covers proper25 which, in conjunction with said clamping members, constitute the backs on covers of the binder. By suitably operating the clampingjmembers 20 by means of an implement applied to the socket 21,;said members may be caused; to clamp the inner ends or ed es of the leaves tightly'together parallel relation irrespective of the number of said leaves. v r v A binder. such as; above described cannot be opened, flat after themanner ofan ordinary bound booln: b ut, o n the contrary, itis necessary'that thejinner portionsof the leaves curve from the approzgimatelyhorizontal into the vertical plane, so, that a: con siderable portion of the inner ends, of the leavesis unavailable for use,- res ulting in =a considerable waste" of material and inconvenience inuse. In the case of, an ordinary bound book, theflat opening is per-mitted by the fact that whenthe book, is opened the binding is thro eupward y Q; a raised curve from which the leaves canextend in an approximately horizontaldirection. irrespective of the point. at whichthe book is. opened. No, such upward curvature is permitted by the telescopic binding posts 22 and rectilinearly. movable clamping-members QOof the usual binder... Eve nlmwever, if the clamps 20 were permitted a relative.

angular movement and a flexible post substituted for the rigid post 22, upward flexure of the latter would be prevented by the ex treme inner ends of the leaves 23 beyond said post, as will be clear from the diagrams, Figs. 2 to t. In these diagrams, the. clamping members or backs are conventionally represented at 200, the leaves o1 a greatly exaggerated thickness at 230, and a. flexible binding post or strip at 220. Fig. 2 represents the position of the parts with the binder closed. In this position it must be assumed that the backs 200 are so adjusted with respect to, and so secured in position on the binding post or strip 220, as to clamp the leaves 230 together with such tightness as may reasonably be permitted by the compressibility of the leaves. It now an attempt be made to flex the post or strip 220 by a relative angular movement of the backs 200, one of two things must occur, namely (1) the leaves 230 must separate from one another at the post or strip 220, as indicated in Fig. 3, or (2) the combined thickness of the extreme inner ends of the leaves must be reduced, as indicated in Fig. 1. Neither of these operations is possible because: (1) the leaves 230 cannot separate at the post or strip, being firmly clamped together by the backs 200, and since (2) said leaves, being initially clamped together with the tightness reasonably permitted by their compressibility, a further reduction of their combined thickness at the inner ends is impracticable.

In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing diiiiculties are overcome and a throw-up of the binding post or strip and consequent flat opening of the binder are obtained by permitting a reduction of the combined thickness of the inner ends of the superposed leaves in accordance with the principles illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7.

In Figs. 5 and 6, 26 denotes a flexible binding post or strip and 27 the leaves which at their inner ends are bent at an obtuse angle X to the outer or body portions thereof, the angle being located substantially at the post or strip. Fig. 5 indicates the position of the parts when the binder is closed. It will be observed that at this time the combined thickness of the rear ends of the leaves, measured along the line 21-13 parallel tothe post or strip, is greater than the sum of the thicknesses of the several leaves, measured in a direction normal to their surfaces. A certain amount of looseness, indicated at c, is therefore provided between the body portions of the leaves, even when the latter are clamped as tightly together as possible at their inner ends. When the binder is opened, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the post or strip 26 is curved upwardly, and the inner ends of the leaves may be brought into positions substantially perpendicular or radial thereto, thereby taking up the excess thickness measured along the line A-B and permitting the required reduction 01 the effective combined thickness of the leaves at the inner side of the post or strip. As may be shown by an analysis of the figures, the proportion of reduction eti'ected is represented by the expression: 1sine X.

As illustrated in Fig. 7, a similar result may be accomplished by cutting away or notching the inner ends of the leaves 270 be yond the binding post or strip 26, ditlierent, and preferably alternate, leaves being notched or cut away, as shown at 28, at difilerent points to receive the remaining portion 29 of the other or intermediate leaves. When the binder is opened, and the binding post or strip 26 is curved upwardly, as shown, the portions 29 of the. inner ends of the several leaves 270 are received in the notches 28 ot the adjacent leaves, thereby permitting an overlapping of the inner ends and a consequent reduction of their effective combined thickness.

While either of the constructions above described may be employed to accomplish the desired result, Figs. 8 to 13 illustrate an embodiment of the invention in which both are utilized. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the binder comprises a pair of substantially rigid (as distinguished from hinged) covers or backs 30 connected by a plurality of parallel, flexible binding posts or strips 31 preferably composed of spring steel. The ends of the strips 31 are secured to one of the backs or covers 30 and are loosely received at their opposite ends within suitably disposed recesses in the other. Said last named cover is provided with a look ing slide 32 (see particularly Fig. 13) which is guided therein for longitudinal movement transversely to the strips and formed with raised lingers 33 to engage the latter and lock the same in adjusted position. The set 01' leaves comprises two forms shown at 271 and 272 in Figs. 10 and 11 respectively, the leaves 271 preferably alternating with the leaves 272 in the series. All of said leaves are formed with registering, elongated slots or perforations 31 to receive the binding strips 31. The inner ends of the leaves 271 are cut away to form notches 35, while the inner ends of the leaves 272 are similarly cut away to form notches 36, said notches being at different points in the respective leaves, the notches 35 correspond ing in size, shape and position to the remaining portions 38 of the leaves 272, and the notches 36 similarly corresponding in size, shape and position to the remaining portions 39 of the leaves 271. All of said notches extend substantially to the perforations or slots 34-. The inner ends of all of the leaves are folded or bent along lines adjacent the slots or perforations 34 to provide end portions 40 disposed at an obtuse angle to the remainder or body portions of the leaves. In order to give a set to said portions, the leaves are preferably folded in opposite directions along two parallel lines ll and 42 so as to offset the portions 40 slightly from the body portions of the leaves, said lines being relatively close together and being located respectively at opposite sides of the outer edges of the slots 34. The extreme inner ends 43 of the leaves are preferably disposed substantially parallel to the body portions thereof and are connected with the angular portions 20 by two opposite folds along parallel lines 4A and 45. As a result, two oppositely disposed projecting creases 42 and 45 are provided, giving a definite set to the angular portions 40, which are accordingly slightly offset from the remaining portions of the leaves. This form of the leaves is preferably maintained when the binder is closed by forming the inner faces of the covers 30 with complementary surfaces 46 and 47 corresponding to the form of the leaves.

In Fig. 9 the binder is shown closed, the leaves, and particularly the bent inner ends 40 thereof, being clamped tightly together in parallel relation, in accordance with the principle illustrated in Fig. 5. When the binder is opened, as shown in Fig. 8, the fixed connection of the flexible strips 31 with the substantially rigid backs 80 causes said strips to be thrown or curved upwardly, the combined thickness of the portions 40 of the leaves being reduced in accordance with the principle illustrated in Fig. 6, and the extreme rear ends 4:3 of said portions being moved into overlapping relationship, as illustrated in Fig. 7 By reason of the upward curvature of the binding posts or strips, the body portions of the leaves are permitted to lie substantially flat, as in a permanently bound book, and as illustrated in Fig. 8, thereby avoiding the waste of paper incidental to the curving of the leaves in binders of the type shown in Fig. 1, and greatly facilitating the use of the binder.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a loose leaf binder, in combination, a plurality of separate leaves, a binding post or strip passing through said leaves adjacent their inner ends, and means associated with said post or strip for clamping said leaves tightly together in parallel relation, the inner ends of different leaves being cut away at different points beyond said post or strip to receive the remaining portions of other leaves when the binder is opened.

2. In a loose leaf binder, in combination, a plurality of separate leaves, a flexible binding post or strip passing through said leaves adjacent their inner ends, and means associated with said post or strip to clamp said leaves tightly together in parallel relation and to curve said post or strip when said binder is opened, the inner ends of different leaves being cut away at different points beyond said post or strip to receive the remaining portions of other leaves when the binder is opened.

3. In a loose leaf binder, in combination, a. plurality of separate leaves, a binding post or strip passing through said leaves adjacent their inner ends substantially perpendicularly to the outer or body portions thereof when said binder is closed, and means associated with said post or strip for clamping said leaves tightly together in parallel relation, the inner ends of all of said leaves being bent atan obtuse angle to said outer or body portions thereof when the binder is closed, and the inner ends of different leaves being cut away at diflerent points beyond said post or strip to receive the remaining portions of other leaves when the binder is opened.

In testimony whereof I afi'ix my signature.

GEORGE AYER PARSONS. 

